A Guide to

Wood Boiler
Installation
2
Published by
Clare County Wood Energy Project
Shannon Business Centre
Town Centre
Shannon
County Clare
www.ccwep.ie
Design: Optic Nerve Design Group, www.OpticNerve.ie
Copyright 2008 Clare County Wood Energy Project
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, or stored in any
retrieval system or any nature without prior written permission of the publishers.
Funded by the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture and Food
under the National Development Plan, 20072013.
Who are we?
The County Clare Wood Energy Project (CCWEP) is a Forest Service funded
project whose aim is to promote the installation of wood biomass boilers fuelled
by wood chip from farm forests in the county. It is managed jointly by Rural
Resource Development (the LEADER group in County Clare) and Teagasc.

Since the project was launched in late 2005, CCWEP has worked with a number of
companies and organisations in County Clare to identify suitable sites/buildings
for the installation of medium sized wood biomass boilers and has provided on-
going technical support and training for boiler procurement and installation.
Signicant work on the establishment of a local wood chip supply chain has also
been undertaken.

The service is independent of commercial interests and free of charge.

For more information see www.ccwep.ie
1
Frequently Asked Questions .......................................................... 2
1 Objective of the Guidelines ........................................................... 3
2 Introduction to Wood Heating Systems ........................................ 5
3 Case Study: Clare County Council Headquarters ......................... 18
4 Procurement Guidelines ............................................................... 21
Appendices .................................................................................... 29
Appendix 1: Wood Energy Conversions 29
Appendix 2: Explanation of terms 30
Appendix 3: Useful websites and contacts 32
Footnotes ............................................................... Inside back cover
Contents
1
2
How much wood fuel is available in County Clare?
About 60,000 green tonnes pa of wood is currently available for wood fuel markets without impacting on
existing markets, of which only 3.3% is currently being used. Supply gures will increase signicantly in the
years ahead.
What fnancial savings can wood energy systems offer?
Wood chip fuel is around half the price of oil for heating in Ireland, although capital costs to install the systems
are high compared to fossil boilers. An annual heating bill of 100,000 could be reduced to 50,000.
How much CO
2
can I save?
Wood fuel heating emits the least C0
2
per unit of energy supplied of any energy technology.
How much renewable energy does wood fuel provide already?
50% of the EUs renewable energy is provided by wood fuel and 5.6% of the EUs total energy is obtained
from wood fuel.
How are wood chips made?
Wood chips are produced by chipping solid wood into small particles. The solid wood is usually air dried
down to a suitable moisture content and then chipped by a purpose made wood chipper before delivery to
boilers. There are several wood chip suppliers operating in County Clare.
What type of wood boiler should I get?
There is an enormous variety of wood boilers on the market. Most are fully automated and have sophisticated
controls. Specifying the correct mix of features and selecting the best supplier is a specialist task. However
in principle there two basic choices. An underfed hearth system for smaller systems and drier fuels, and a
moving grate system for larger systems and wetter fuels.
What are the maintenance implications of wood energy systems?
Ash will accumulate in the ash bin (under 1% by volume of the wood chip fuel input) and require periodic
emptying (typically every 3 months). Boilers with pneumatic cleaning remove most of the airborne ash that
accumulates on the inside of the heat exchanger. However a small ash build-up does occur and all boilers
should be properly cleaned in accordance with the manufacturers instructions, typically every 500 to 1,500
operating hours.
How much energy does wood contain?
1 tonne of wood chips at 40% moisture content contains 2,929kWh of energy or 2.93MWh of energy. This
would replace about 300 litres of oil.
How does wood energy beneft the local economy?
Wood chip energy creates more local employment than any other energy source. It is estimated that 171
people could be employed in the sector in Clare by 2020 if we meet our government target. The total
contribution of wood energy to the local economy by 2020 is estimated at 9.8m per annum.
Frequently Asked
Questions
3
1.1 Who are these guidelines for?
These guidelines are intended to help energy users prepare, plan and install wood energy heating systems.
They cover the standards and best practice specications for fully automatic stoker wood burning systems
that utilise wood chips. They are intended to help any heat energy user in the commercial, industrial and
public sector. This would include hospitals, large ofces, hotels, educational institutions, process heat users
and so on.
The guide has been produced as result of the knowledge gained by the County Clare Wood Energy Project
since it commenced its work late in 2005. The CCWEP
1
has been working to facilitate and stimulate the
uptake of wood energy in County Clare.
The aim is to provide a user friendly guide to purchasers who have limited knowledge of the technology.
It is intended to help them decide what type of system is most suitable for them and to offer practical
guidance on design and procurement that can be used to augment professional and specialist input.
The design and installation of wood chip heating systems tends to be more complex and time consuming
than fossil fuel heating systems and should only be embarked on with full knowledge of the implications,
in terms of the costs and resources required to make it happen successfully. However, these systems are
extremely reliable, technically robust and offer substantial energy savings utilising a renewable energy
source.
It is beyond the scope of this document to provide a full and detailed technical specication on the design
and installation of wood energy heating systems. In all cases it is advised that specialist and expert help is
secured as part of the investment and procurement process.
1.2 Why should they interest you?
Modern wood-fuelled heating systems have been developed as an alternative to either oil, LPG, coal or gas
red systems. In this regard they can usually be plumbed directly into existing systems.
They can be operated as independent stand alone boilers; can be installed in series with other biomass or
fossil red boilers; or can be installed in parallel with fossil boilers to operate as the lead boiler. They are
fully controllable and entirely automatic using programmable timers and zone thermostats and can be
incorporated into building energy management systems.
Wood heating systems are much more expensive to install than fossil heating systems. However they are
much cheaper to operate as the cost of wood fuel is lower than all fossil fuels. This means that the existing
energy bill (to be replaced) must be large enough to justify the capital investment.
Therefore these guidelines are designed to be used by larger heat energy users in the commercial, industrial
and public sector. They are appropriate for heat users such as hospitals, leisure centres, schools, ofces,
hotels, retail, industrial and commercial sites. This could include residential applications where homes are
connected to a wood chip red boiler via a heat network (district heating). It can also include all other
forms of district heating where a number of individual buildings are connected via underground ow and
return pipes to a central energy centre in the form of a wood red boiler.
1. Objective of the
Guidelines
1 : Objective of the Guidelines
4
5
2.1 Why does wood energy heating dominate renewable energy provision?
Wood energy dominates the provision of renewable energy worldwide and in the EU. Half of Europes
renewable energy comes from wood. In some countries (such as Sweden, Austria and Finland) about a
quarter of all energy used is from wood and on average 10% of Europes heating needs are met from wood
in modern, automated and technically sophisticated wood red boilers. In operational and commercial
terms, wood red heating is the most mature, reliable and well deployed renewable energy technology.
2.2 What savings can it offer?
Wood chip fuel is around half the price of oil for heating in Ireland, although capital costs to install the
systems are high compared to fossil boilers. However wood red heating is extremely cost effective in
comparison with all other renewable energy technology, in terms of installed costs per Kilowatt (kW).
2

The table below illustrates these costs:
Technology Cost installed /kW
Wood Fuel Heating 350 700
Gas/Oil Heating 50 70
GSHP(geothermal) 1,200 2,250
Solar Thermal 3,000 4,500
Micro Wind 2,750 7,500
Micro Hydro 6,000
Solar PV 10,000
2.3 How much CO
2
can I save?
Wood fuel heating emits the least C0
2
per unit of energy supplied of any energy technology. All energy
technologies emit some carbonfor example a wind turbine generates a nite amount of renewable
electricity over its design life, but requires energy for it to be manufactured, erected and maintained (this
part of the carbon footprint is usually termed the embedded carbon).
2 Introduction to Wood
Heating Systems
2 : Introduction to Wood Heating Systems
6

5
1
15
2
25
3
35
4
45
wood heaIing wind Solar PV msi Solar PV si NaIural gas
heaIing
LighI Iuel oil
heaIing
6
r
a
m
m
e
s

e
f

C

2

p
e
r

k
w
h
CO
2
emissions per unit of energy supplied
The table
3
above illustrates CO
2
emissions associated with different energy sources based upon this principle.
4
It can therefore be concluded that wood heating offers the best level of C0
2
savings of all energy options
(renewable and non-renewable) and is the cheapest renewable energy to install per kW. Thus the least cost
way of making carbon savings (apart from energy minimisation), is to invest in wood fuel heating.
2.4 How much energy does wood fuel provide already?
The gures above and the basic cost of fuel compared to gas and oil explain the dominance of wood fuel in
the EU renewable energy market. Biomass now provides 7%
5
of Europes total energy needs. About 80% of
the fuel input for biomass is wood, so 5.6% of Europes energy is obtained from wood.
In total some 100 million green tonnes per annum of wood are used for energy in Europe. The following
pie chart illustrates that wood provides over half of all the renewable energy that Europe uses.
Renewable Energy by Sector (EU25)
6eoIhermal
Solar/wind
8iogas/|uel
wood
hydro
7
Renewables installed in the Western Region (MW)
2.5 What is the market situation for County Clare and the Western Region?
Available data shows that for the Western Region (Clare to Donegal), biomass wood projects amount to
65.5MW or 11% of the installed renewable energy technologies. County specic data is not available,
although County Clare probably has a concentration of commercial scale wood chip boilers.
The biomass sector in the Western Region is broken down into three market types;
Large industrial scale (1MW+) 52MW installed
There are 5 large scale installations based at sawmills or panel board mills where the boilers provide process
heat for drying or reducing wood chips to bre. The installations consume about 125,000 tonnes of wood
fuel per annum. Most of the fuel is co-product generated on site and a small proportion comes from
recycled packaging material.
Medium commercial scale (60kW to 1MW) 10.6MW installed
There are about 30 commercial scale boilers (60kW to 1MW) totaling 10.6MW that have been installed or
are contracted to be installed in nursing homes, leisure centres, schools, the agricultural sector and some
public buildings. These boilers consume about 10,000 tonnes of wood chip per annum.
Domestic scale 2.9MW installed
The domestic sector, broadly dened as boilers under 60kW rated capacity, are largely installed in the
private housing sector. At present there is an estimated 2.9MW of installed capacity driven by the SEI
Greener Homes Scheme. The dominant fuel type is wood pellets.
8iomass Commercial 62.6Vw
8iomass 0omesIic 2.9Vw
hydro 16Vw
wind 37Vw
2 : Introduction to Wood Heating Systems
8
2.6 How much wood fuel do we have in Clare?
15.63% of County Clare is forested, making it the fourth most afforested county in Ireland. It contains
6.8% of Irelands total forestry resource 45,000 hectares in total about half of which is privately owned
and half in state ownership. The most distinctive feature of this forestry is that about 70% of it is young
conifers. This means that over the coming years the vast bulk of the timber harvest will be small diameter
logs. Production forecasts
6
for the county estimate that the total amount of pulpwood timber available for
wood chip is forecast to grow from the current 60,000 green tonnes pa to 70,000 green tonnes pa.
Much of this growth in production will be in small diameter logs suitable only for the board mills and
fencing markets. This material has a low value and it is very unlikely it will be viable to transport such
material to remote markets.
In addition, other production of wood is possible in County Clare and it has been estimated
7
that between
2007 and 2020, 15,00020,000 green tonnes pa could be available as wood fuel from the tops of trees
(under 7cm diameter). Overall it can be concluded that unless new markets for wood emerge in or near
County Clare (in the form of new sawmills and board mills), that about 70,000 green tonnes pa of wood
will be available for wood fuel markets without impacting on existing markets. The most likely scenario is
that if the wood energy market does not emerge, all this available wood will stay in the forest estate.
8
The local economic benets of this will be that the county will rely less on imported fossil fuels and use
a local resource that has no viable current market. The attendant C0
2
savings may also provide economic
benets as the trading of carbon credits becomes bedded into local and regional economies in the future.
2.7 Pellets or wood chips?
Pellets are produced by extruding raw sawdust through a dye. The energy produced in the process causes
the natural lignin in the wood to melt forming a solid shiny outer coating. Some manufacturers also add
starch or other lignin-based materials.
To manufacture pellets successfully, the raw sawdust has to have the correct particle size distribution,
usually 3-5mm. This is achieved by passing the raw material through a hammer mill and recycling the
heavier fractions. In order to meet EU specications the sawdust also has to be dried to the correct moisture
level of approximately 1013%, before entering the press.
A pellet dye
9
The capacity of the extrusion plants, known as pellet mills, can vary from 250kg per hour to ve tonnes per
hour. Large manufacturers will have several machines running continuously. After extrusion, the pellets
are cooled and then stored in warehouses or silos ready for despatch either to delivery depots or the
customer in covered trucks. Pellets can be manufactured from the following wood sources:
Virgin sawdust from trees or from processing untreated timber
Whole tree chippings, including bark
Recycled wood
Other biomass material, including straw, coppiced wood, and other recycled material.
Generally however most pellets are manufactured directly from sawdust produced as a by-product of the
saw-milling industry.
The following table provides a simple comparison between wood chips and pellets;
Issue Pellets Wood Chips
Cost Pellets are more expensive than chips
due to the costs of production and
the higher value of sawdust in other
markets
Wood chips are usually 20% to 40%
cheaper than pellets. This lower cost
takes into account the lower energy con-
tent of chips per tonne
Energy Content Pellets contain more energy per tonne
than wood chips as they are drier
(10% mc)
Wood chips cannot be easily produced
below 20% mc and therefore contain less
energy per tonne than pellets
Flow characteristics Pellets fow like a liquid fuel and can
be easily transported in lorries with
blowers and gravity fed into boilers
Chips do not fow and must be transferred
from silos to boilers in augers
Bulk Pellets are less bulky than wood chips
and require smaller less expensive silos
Chips are more bulky than pellets and
require larger silos
Boiler requirements Most commercial scale boilers will
operate on pellets or chips. A system
designed for pellets will not usually be
easily convertible to chips because of
the silo and augers required
Most commercial scale boilers will oper-
ate on pellets or chips. A system designed
for chips can be made to use pellets with
very simple modifcations
Availability Not locally produced must be im-
ported
Widely available
Quality Main issue with pellets is disintegration
in transport and storage. This causes
dust that cannot be properly combust-
ed by the boiler
Main issue with chips is particle size and
moisture content. Both are fully control-
lable with purpose made wood chippers
and screens, and good logistics in drying
Market applications 5% of the wood energy market is
supplied with pellets. Due to higher
cost, smaller storage needs and fow
characteristics pellets are mostly used
in the domestic heating markets
95% of the EU wood energy market is
supplied with wood chips and for most
public sector, commercial and industrial
applications wood chips will be the most
appropriate fuel choice
2 : Introduction to Wood Heating Systems
10
2.8 Special considerations for wood chip systems
1. What are the operational issues?
Properly specied wood chip systems will operate automatically and with the same degree of usability as
fossil fuel boilers. However, because they use solid fuel their operation and design is a little different.
Fossil fuel boilers are capable of greater modulation than wood boilers, this means they can respond
quickly to changes in demand for heating. However wood boilers cannot reach full power quickly and tend
to operate less efciently if the heating load modulates (has peaks and troughs).
If they operate less efciently, because of variable load, they will use more wood fuel and this reduces the
operational cost saving from switching fuels. To overcome this situation, wood boilers should be tted
with a large hot water storage tank sized by a specialist engineer for that load and heating requirement.
This allows the wood boiler to charge the hot water tank and that tank then provides hot waterthus
smoothing the load on the boiler. This has a further advantage of allowing the wood boiler to be sized on
the average annual heat load and not the peak load. This means the boiler will be smaller and less expensive
to install.
This issue also means that buildings with high and stable heat loads (swimming pools for example) tend
to show a quicker return on the investment (than for example ofces).
2. New Build or Retro-Fit?
Wood chip systems can be installed in a new build project or retro-tted into an existing building that
already has gas or oil boilers. In either case the wood chip system will be providing hot water
9
so the
building should have a wet system of radiators.
There is usually an advantage in retro-tting because the existing boilers can be retained to provide a back-
up system and to provide peak load heat. This helps to manage modulating demand on the wood chip
system and allows it to be sized for the annual average heat load rather than the peak load.
If a wood chip system is being installed in a new build situation it is usual to install a stand-by fossil fuel
boiler at the same time. This replicates the retro-t situation where the existing boiler performs a peak load
and back-up role.
In both cases it is usual to aim for the wood chip system taking 85% of the total heat load over the year.
3. Sizing wood boilers
Wood chip systems are expensive to install. For example a 500kW oil red system might cost 30,000 to
install, whereas a similar sized wood system could cost over 250,000 to install
10
. Traditionally the sizing
of fossil fuel boilers has not been a big issue as the boilers are relatively inexpensive and because they
modulate it does not matter if they are oversized relative to the heat load.
However with wood chip systems it is very important to match the boiler to the heat load and where there
is a peak load back-up boiler, to undersize it. When combined with a hot water tank it is desirable to size
the wood boiler based on about 85% of the total annual load.
Sizing should be undertaken by a specialist consultant who can take into account all the factors.
11
When sizing the heat load for a building in Ireland it is usually calculated to achieve 21C internal
temperature at minus 10C outside. Typical heat loads are:
3 bedroom house = 15kW peak load
Primary School = 50kW 150kW
Secondary School = 300kW 700kW
Hotel with pool = 500kW 1,000kW
Hospital = 800kW 5,000kW
Full heat load calculations are carried out by calculating surface areas of buildings, calculating the U
values
11
of each type of surface (walls, windows etc.) and taking into account air exchange rates. Computer
programmes are available to do these calculations. However, a useful rule of thumb is to calculate the
volume of the building (in m
3
) and multiply by 0.035 to give an approximate heat load in kW.
12

If historical heating bills are available they provide the most reliable guide to energy use and can be used
by a specialist to size a wood chip system. Historical data should show monthly use in litres or therms over
a 12 month period to be most useful. If the building is to be changed, extended or modied then this may
impact on future energy use and this must be taken into account when sizing the system.
4. Location of the installation
Wood chip systems are much larger than fossil fuel systems and require access by a lorry for fuel delivery.
The size of the system depends upon the capacity of the boiler and the size of the fuel silo (a large store that
contains the delivered fuel and is connected to the boiler via feed augers), however it should be assumed
that a large double garage would accommodate a typical 300kW to 500kW system. The silo would usually
be sized by a specialist to contain 7 to 10 days of fuel at peak load conditions. This means that a silo of
approximately 70 cubic metres is required for a typical commercial system.
The site should ideally have access to three phase power to operate the wood chip system. Those sites
without three phase power can still specify a wood chip system with some modications.
5. What type of wood boiler?
There is an enormous variety of wood boilers on the market. Most are fully automated and have sophisticated
controls. Specifying the correct mix of features and selecting the best supplier is a specialist task. Section 3
of these guidelines deals in some detail with the components of a system. However, in principle there two
basic choices;
An underfed hearth system
A moving grate system
Underfed hearth systems tend to be smaller and less expensive. They can only use wood fuel up to 35%
moisture content as there is no system of pre-drying prior to combustion. For most systems under 500kW
it is usually more cost effective to select underfed hearth boilers.
Moving grate designs shunt wood fuel along the combustion chamber and allow it to be dried prior to
combustion. This means the boilers are larger and more expensive. However this allows the use of wet
fuels of up to 55% moisture content in some cases.
It is important to investigate the availability of fuels locally before selecting a system. Moving grate designs
allow greater choice of fuel suppliers but this comes at a cost.
2 : Introduction to Wood Heating Systems
12
Once the boiler type has been selected and the moisture content of the fuel is known it is important to
ensure the boiler control settings are set appropriately for that type of boiler and fuel. Incorrect settings
will reduce the efciency of the system and increase the use of wood fuel. In some cases incorrect settings
can cause the boiler to stop working.
A common problem is that fuel is combusted at too high a temperature and causes the ash to fuse into
lumps of clinker that can cause mechanical damage to the boiler and ash augers. During the commissioning
period these settings can be determined and xed.
A containerised solution?
Wood chip systems up to about 500kW can be purchased pre-fabricated and fully installed in shipping
containers. They come with all the components and include a fuel silo. All that is required is that they are
placed onto a concrete plinth and plumbed up and connected to mains power.
Such systems tend to be less expensive than those constructed on site as most of the works can be completed
in factory conditions. However they do not provide the optimum solution in terms of the fuel silo as fuel
must be dropped into the silo from above and this must be achieved by a blower, conveyor, clam grab
arm or other arrangement. This is time consuming and less efcient than direct tipping of fuel into a
subterranean (underground) silo.
13
6. Fuel delivery, storage and handling
The reception, handling and storage of wood fuel in the silo are crucial to the successful and cost effective
operation of the system. There are a range of options and designs. The preferred option will be developed
in the context of each site and its physical characteristics and be dependant upon the type of fuel supply
available locally. Once the fuel has arrived at the boiler site it must be quickly and simply deposited into
the silo. This can be achieved in different ways.
Delivery vehicle options
13
It is important that an investigation is undertaken to determine what types of delivery vehicles are available
locally. This might include a tipping wagon, or a tractor and trailer like the images below.
These lorries and the tractor and trailer can contain 7 to 10 tonnes of fuel which would be sufcient for
one week in a typical 500kW boiler. Tipping deliveries require a silo or a trough to tip into. A delivery
vehicle with a clam grab arm can deposit fuel into an above ground silo where it is not possible to install
a silo or trough for tipping deliveries. Using this method increases the time taken for fuel delivery and
therefore has an impact on the cost of wood fuel.
Clam grab arm fuel delivery
2 : Introduction to Wood Heating Systems
14
Fuel handling options
Conveyer or Blower Systems
In simple terms fuel must be tipped into a trough or silo, or dropped or blown into a silo. Wood chip fuel
does not tend to blow well and generally this method should be avoided. Because tipping deliveries are
simple and effective, some designs provide a trough linked to a conveyor that brings the fuel into a fuel
silo. Examples of this type of design are shown below.
Fuel being conveyed Fuel being blown
These types of fuel handling systems can be noisy to operate and again are not as simple, effective and rapid
as tipping fuel delivery.
Hook Lift Bins
Another method of fuel handling is via hook lift bins.
Hook lift bins are delivered lled with fuel and simply attached to a feed auger. The empty bin is then taken
from site and relled off site as needed; therefore two bins are required for continuous fuel supply. For
larger boilers a bank of three or more hook lift bins can be installed to provide larger fuel inputs.
15
Tipping
Delivery of fuel direct into a silo by tipping is usually the most effective method. Below ground silos can be
very neat, unobtrusive and can be located in public areas as needed.
2 : Introduction to Wood Heating Systems
16
2.9 Planning and Regulations
A wood chip system may currently require planning permission. However it is anticipated that most projects
will become formally exempt from the need to secure planning permission under proposed changes to the
planning regulations in 2008.
If the wood fuel is free of contaminants (i.e. not recycled wood) then there shouldnt be any emissions issues.
2.10 Fuel specifcation and quality
Moisture Content
The most important fuel quality factor is what kind of moisture content is available locally. The chart below
illustrates the impact of moisture content on the energy value of wood fuel.
It shows clearly that the wetter the fuel, the less energy it contains. In practice this means the boiler uses
more fuel if the fuel is wetter
14
. Wood fuel is usually purchased according to its energy content rather than
by weight or volume. The moisture content of the fuel also affects the bulk density of the fuel. In other
words, wetter fuel requires more space in a silo. For example 650 tonnes of wood fuel at 30% moisture
content equates to 1,000 tonnes of wood fuel at 50% moisture content, for the same energy content.
Particle Size
The other major factor in fuel specication is particle size. Wood fuel must be provided to a given range in
terms of particle size. This is easily achieved by purpose made wood fuel chippers that use purpose made
chipping mechanisms and screens. General purpose forestry and agricultural chippers cannot produce
properly specied wood fuel. If wood fuel is not chipped to the required particle sizes it will not be able
to pass smoothly through the feed augers connecting the silo to the boiler. In particular over size particles
can cause augers to block. Equally a high content of undersized particles and dust can create combustion
problems as ne particles tend to circulaterather than combustin the combustion chamber and cause
ash formation and clinker build up.
Contaminants
The other important issue with fuel specication is to ensure the wood chips are free of contamination. In
terms of recycled wood this could be nails, metal and other objects, or it could be paints and preservatives
in the wood. Clearly, contaminated wood fuel can cause mechanical damage to the boiler system or result
in pollution from chimney emissions.
Energy Value of Wood as a Function of Moisture Content

Meisture Centent {%J
C
a
I
e
r
i
f
i
c

a
I
u
e

{
M
w
h
/
t
e
n
n
e
J
17
The two most widely used wood fuel standards are the CEN and Onorm specications. The boiler
manufacturer will conrm what wood fuel specication is required by their particular boiler and this
specication will normally conform to the CEN or Onorm standards. It is likely that the boiler warranty
would be invalidated by the use of incorrectly specied fuel.
2.11 What are the fuel supply options?
There are three basic fuel supply models:
1. A simple wood chip supply contract
2. A wood heat supply contract
3. An energy services contract (ESCo)
1. Wood Chip Supply Contract
In this model the customer owns and maintains the wood red boiler plant and purchases wood fuel as
they might purchase oil. It is normal to buy wood chips per oven-dried tonne (ODT) at a xed price per
ODT. The fuel would need to comply with the boilers warranty in terms of chip dimensions and moisture
content (m/c) and be free from contamination.
2. Heat Supply Agreement
In this model the customer owns and maintains the wood red boiler plant and a wood heat supplier
provides fuel. The customer pays only for heat used. Payment is made via a heat tariff in /kWh measured
at a heat meter attached to the boiler. Sometimes there is also a standing charge for the fuel supplier to
maintain the plant.
This model can be varied to suit the customers needs including the term of the contract, depending on
who is responsible for maintenance. It creates a commercial incentive for the wood heat supplier to
provide high quality and reliable fuel supply as they only receive payment if the boiler is providing heat.
Low moisture content fuel means fewer deliveries and correct chip size means no maintenance call outs,
thus keeping the heat suppliers costs down. In this arrangement the heat supplier must be aware that they
are paid on the boiler side of the system. This means that they must be condent that the boiler system
is performing to a consistent efciency. The customer is responsible for ensuring that the boiler is serviced
and capable of operating at optimum efciency.
A standard Wood Heat Supply Agreement which is available from the CCWEP can be modied and used to
secure tender offers and a fuel supply contract.
3. Energy Services Contract (ESCo)
In this model the supplier nances, owns and operates a wood fuel boiler plant on behalf of the energy
customer. Contracts like this usually extend over 5 to 7 years and at the end of the contract period the
boiler reverts to the ownership of the customer. The heat tariff is higher as it includes pay-back of the
capital cost of the plant. The customer avoids any up-front capital cost. This model might suit customers
who cannot nance the heating plant. From the suppliers point of view it requires condence that the
wood heat customer is reliable and able to enter into a long-term contract.
2 : Introduction to Wood Heating Systems
18
3.1 How the project was planned
In late 2006, as the construction of their new corporate headquarters in Ennis was underway, Clare County
Council approached the CCWEP for assistance with investigating a wood energy heating system. CCWEP
provided ongoing assistance in developing project options and by the summer of 2007 the Council had
committed to the construction of a wood fuel boiler system to heat their new headquarters. This involved
the Council in developing an understanding of the technology and the business case. Part of that process
including visiting similar installations in another country.
As this was a new build project being developed under a Design and Build contract with the construction
company McNamaras, it afforded the opportunity to fully integrate a wood boiler system into the new
development. McNamaras elected to appoint Clearpower Ltd (a specialist wood energy installation
company) as the design and install subcontractor for the wood boiler. Large parts of the civils works
associated with the installation were undertaken directly by McNamaras.
The system that resulted is a 540kW Kob Pyrot biomass boiler, burning wood chip. The wood chip is stored
in an underground fuel silo that allows wood chip to be automatically fed into the boiler via a fuel transfer
auger. The system has a gas boiler as back-up.
3.2 How the system works
The wood fuel is automatically moved from the underground silo by means of a feed auger that conveys
the material to be burned diagonally from below into the ring system. The material to be burned is then
ignited automatically by an electric heat gun. The ash falls into a moveable ash bin below.
The combustion gases rising from the combusted wood fuel in the combustion chamber are swept up by
a rotating airow. The thermal energy from the combustion gases is transmitted to the boiler water in a
horizontally positioned pipe-type heat exchanger. A microprocessor control system adjusts the heat output
of the furnace in a modulating fashion. It allows:
Automatic ignition
Modulating output operation (25100%) so that low and high demands for hot water can be
accommodated
Automatic re-supplying of fuel by the feed auger from the silo
Optimised air supply through motor-operated air vents for the best possible incineration, using a
lambda sensor
The underground fuel silo allows tipping fuel delivery from a tipping trailer fuel delivery vehicle. This is an
efcient and effective method of delivery. The silo has a capacity of 130m
3
, which gives a usable volume of
85m
3
. This is because the silo is designed with a cone shaped bottom to allow fuel to drop into the augers
and because it should have an air gap at the top to ensure the fuel does not become anaerobic and start
to decompose. At the maximum specied moisture content of the fuel (at 45%) this is equivalent to 23.5
tonnes of wood chips when full. This amount of fuel equates to approximately 100 full load hours of heat
for the boiler. Therefore, during peak heating months the silo will require lling every 10 days.
3 Case Study:
Clare County Council
Headquarters
19
3.3 How the fuel is sustainably supplied
Following a competitive tender process managed
by the CCWEP, the County Council entered into
a heat supply agreement with Clare Wood Chip
Ltd based in Flagmount in the north east of the
county, who supplies all the wood fuel and takes
away the ash. The fuel supplier is paid in /kWh
as measured by a heat meter. This means the fuel
supplier is fully responsible for the energy content
of the wood chips and the County Council only
pays for the actual energy it uses.
The boiler will use an estimated 375 to 400 tonnes
of conditioned wood chips per annum. This is equal
to 550m
3
of round logs. This material is sustainably
sourced from locally owned plantations. The
delivery distance is 27 miles. The fuel supply is planned on a ve year cycle and a total of 135 hectares of
forestry is required to ensure that the ve year fuel cycle is met
15
.
3.4 How the fuel is dried
The timber from forest thinnings is harvested as small diameter logs and transported to the local wood fuel
depot in Flagmount. Here the logs are stored outdoors with the cut ends facing south so that the prevailing
wind can penetrate the timber stacks. The stacks are also covered with a reinforced, recyclable paper cover
to prevent rainfall wetting them.
Fresh timber logs have a moisture content of 5055%, so the logs must be air dried down to a suitable
moisture content of 3035% before they are chipped. The time required to achieve this is about nine
months, although this depends upon site specic factors and climatic conditions. Once the desired moisture
content is achieved, the logs are chipped using a fuel wood chipper (Musmax) and stored in a dry shed for
onward delivery with a tractor and trailer to this boiler and other customers locally.
3 : Case Study: Clare County Council Headquarters
20
21
4.1 Development of Invitation to Tender documents
The design, installation and commissioning of a wood chip system is a complex and specialist task. It
should be undertaken by a specialist wood energy installation company. The complete works should be
procured under a turnkey design and build contract. Like any other large capital item it is necessary to
secure competitive quotations to ensure value for money and to obtain a reliable and professional company
to specify, design and install the system.
To achieve this it is necessary to develop an Invitation to Tender (ITT) document. This should set out in
as much detail as possible what is required and seek budget cost estimates and outline design proposals
from a range of wood energy installation companies. Ideally the development of ITT documents should be
completed by specialists; however it is possible to develop such documents using the information below in
these guidelines.
The ITT should cover requirements for tender companies to provide a complete turnkey design and build
tender offer for the installation of a wood red system.
The ITT seeks tenders that provide a budget cost estimate and other quality based details.
Responses to the ITT are used to evaluate tenders and appoint a preferred specialist installer to develop and
nalise a design solution as a turnkey package.
4.2 CCWEP Tender Experience
By undertaking this formal process it is possible to secure a better price and verify that the supplier is
reliable and experienced. From our experience of managing tenders over the past two years, the CCWEP
has learnt that there can be large variation in costs and that this is often associated with the omission of
site specic civil engineering and mechanical and electrical works. This is partly because the installers will
want to offer what appears to be a low price, but is also because site specic items are much more difcult
to price than off the shelf equipment such as boilers, augers and buffer tanks. The areas in which it is
advisable to look out for omissions are:
District heat mains and connections to and from the wood boiler to buildings or existing plant rooms
Fuel silos and the related feeder mechanisms to the boiler
Another factor which can impact on costs in the tendering process is boiler capacity and type. It is important
to look for evidence that the tender has considered the capacity of the boiler and how it will operate in
terms of the required heat load. Related to this is that less expensive boilers may be unable to use wood fuel
over 40% moisture content. The tender should make clear what range of fuel the boiler can use.
As a result, it is often difcult to make simple price comparisons. Clarity over what is required does help to
remove omissions from tender returnshowever it remains an issue in how installers respond to tendering
opportunities.
4 Procurement
Guidelines
4 : Procurement Guidelines
22
4.3 Contents of an ITT
The ITT shall normally contain as much detail as possible on the site of the proposed wood chip system and
all details on planned or existing energy use. As a minimum it should contain plans and photos of the site
and full details of existing energy bills. It shall state what the tender company must submit, including;
1. Company background and experience
This shall include written details of company history, turn over, range of clients and a description of similar
installations. The total number of installations the company has completed shall be provided.
It shall describe the management structure of the company and how it will manage the design and
installation of this project if successful. The names of the project engineer and project manager shall be
provided along with copies of their CVs. At least two references for similar projects shall be provided.
Details of Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance cover shall also be submitted.
The company shall conrm that it has the capacity to undertake the design and installation contract to
the required timescale.
2. Outline design proposal
This shall include a clear and comprehensive written description of the type of system the company proposes
to install, together with a schedule of items and products, and product references for major design items.
See page 25 of these guidelines for further details of the design proposal that can be included here and that
should be looked for in terms of tender replies.
A schematic layout plan shall be provided, and if relevant, indicative civil works drawings (such as cross
sections).
3. Budget cost estimate
A cost breakdown shall include all the main items of the design. It is important to appreciate that most of
the cost of a wood chip heating system is not associated with the boiler itself; the fuel handling, storage
and reception design is usually more costly. To secure a turnkey price it is important to seek a budget cost
estimate that covers all of the required construction works.
4. Other information required
The estimated annual consumption of wood fuel and the specic wood fuel specication shall be
provided.
23
4.4 Tender Assessment Criteria
The tender returns to the ITT should be assessed using pre-agreed criteria. A maximum score of 100% can
be achieved and scores can be allocated as follows. It is good practice to state the tender assessment criteria
in the ITT.
40%Company background and experience
A full and detailed response is required.
30%Outline design proposals
Demonstration of a clear design and install intention based upon an effective and well designed
solution.
30%Budget cost estimate
Value for money and cost minimisation to avoid an over engineered or over designed solution.
4.5 The Procurement Process
The ITT process can provide a budget cost estimate and outline design, and of course identify a specialist
installer who is capable of undertaking the work.
Tender Evaluation
The rst step after the tenders are returned is that using the criteria above, the tenders should be assessed
and a preferred specialist installer should be identied. It is useful to record the tender assessment process.
This can be used to demonstrate that a tender process was undertaken as part of applying for the SEI grant.
It is often necessary to develop a list of tender questions to clarify missing or unclear aspects of the tenders.
On occasions, one or two tender companies can be invited for interview to aid in the selection process.
Tender Process Steps and Timescale
The timescale for tendering should be a three to ve week period (depending on size and complexity).
It would sensible to allow at least three weeks for tender review and evaluationmostly because tender
questions almost always arise.
This means in practice that the identication of a specialist installer will normally take at least six to eight
weeks.
It is important to note that the subsequent appointment of a company to develop a detailed design and
nalise a xed cost as a turnkey package, will take between four to eight weeks. This means that a typical
timescale simply to have a nal design and xed cost is generally three to four months.
Furthermore, not all companies are willing to undertake detailed design development at risk. At that stage
a small fee payment could be made to secure commitment and input. Such a payment can be helpful but
is not by any means mandatory or widespread. Its greatest benet is that it should ensure that a period of
genuine design development is undertaken so that all the technical issues are resolved before contracts are
signed.
Contract Stage
Once a satisfactory and complete design has been produced and assuming the xed price remains within
budget, a contract for installation can be entered into. The installers generally have their own standard
contracts and these should be carefully examined for payment terms and exclusions. Most reputable
installers use well worded and fair contracts.
4 : Procurement Guidelines
24
SEI Grant
By this stage agreement should be reached on how the SEI grant is to be applied for. Usually the installer
will be happy to provide all the technical details for the grant application forms, and indeed, make the
application on behalf of the customer. Agreement should also be reached on who is applying for planning
permission, should this be required.
The timescale for grant application can impact on when a contract can be signed and commence, as a
formal grant offer should normally be secured before a contract is signed.
Ordering and Lead Time
Once the contract is signed the installer will be able to place orders for the long lead time items. This can
include the boiler itself and other specialist equipment such as district heating pipes, augers and so on. The
lead time of these items will varybut is typically 10 to 16 weeks.
Construction works for a typical commercial scale boiler will involve approximately 8 to 12 weeks on site.
The whole process of ITT preparation, tendering, design development, grant application, contract
nalisation, ordering and site works usually takes between 8 and 12 months.
Boiler Installation and Commissioning
Once the boiler system has been installed it will need to be commissioned. It is important that the
installation contract covers this part of process and requires the installer to provide a full commissioning
of the boiler system. This will require some liaison with the selected fuel supplier so that a load of wood
fuel can be delivered for the commissioning phase and to ensure that the boiler is set up to operate with
the particular fuel.
The installer should supply training in the operation and maintenance of the system and hand over a
full set of operating manuals. Boiler set up, combustion settings, remote monitoring and integration
into existing (or new) building heating systems should be carefully considered. If the boiler is not set up
properly, it may not operate efciently and will use more wood fuel than necessary.
As wood boilers cannot modulate like fossil boilers because they take longer to respond to heating demand
in the building, care must be taken to decide when the boiler is set up to start. For example the system
might be designed to operate with a buffer tank or in conjunction with a fossil fuel boiler to reduce
modulating demand. The settings that allow for this system of operation should be clearly identied by the
installer for the building user.
25
4.6 The Design of turnkey Wood Chip Systems
This part of the guidelines provides a more detailed non technical summary of each aspect of the wood chip
system. It can be used to provide a list of details in the ITT that can then be used to secure a cost breakdown.
This will allow a fair cost comparison between tender replies. It can also be used to conrm that all aspects
of the project are being developed and included by the selected installation company. In seeking quotations
it is important that all necessary parts of the system, from the boiler itself to the fuel silo and civil works,
are included.
Design, project management and commissioning
The ITT should allow for all design, project management and commissioning costs incurred by the installation
company. This would include design of the plant layout, pipe schematics and wiring. It should also include
site attendance and production of construction drawings. It should allow for all project management
during site construction stage, including management of sub contractors and full commissioning and
training. The installation as a whole should include a full warranty that should at least exceed 12 months.
Many of the better boiler models now come with ve or ten year standard warranties, although this cannot
be applied to the installation as a whole.
Make and capacity of boiler
The ITT should seek a detailed description of the make and model of boiler proposed. The following is
basic list of standard features for a fully automated wood chip boiler suitable for commercial heating
applications. It is important that the design proposals cover each of these or the specier should be asked
to explain why they are to be omitted.
Stoker auger to transfer fuel from the silo to the boiler
Burn-back ap to prevent re in the fuel silo
De-ashing screw and motor to allow automatic de-ashing of the boiler
Mobile ash container300 litres typical for 500kW system
Auto-cleaning of heat exchanger with a pneumatic cleaning option to reduce the need for frequent
manual cleaning
De-ashing screw and motor to allow automatic de-ashing of the heat exchanger
Ash box(es) for heat exchanger60 litres typical for 500kW system
Auto-ignition systemoften x 2 if using wetter fuels on larger systems, to avoid manual start up.
Induced draft fan to improve efciencies in combustion of the fuel
Furnace casing air recirculation to improve efciencies
Flue gas recirculation to improve efciencies and reduce emissions
Electronic control system for fully automatic operation of the whole system
Combustion temperature controller to improve efciencies
Modem to allow remote monitoring and adjustments
The costs should allow for shipping, delivery, ofoad and positioning, and connection of the boiler.
4 : Procurement Guidelines
26
Accumulator tank
Accumulator tank is a term for a hot water tank or thermal store. In most installations this will be
required to iron out heat load demands on the boiler. Sometimes existing hot water systems have the
capacity to carry out this function.
The size should be specied in litres by the installer according to the design and operation of the system.
Between 2,000 litres and 8,000 litres might be required for a commercial scale wood chip system.
The costs should allow for shipping, delivery, ofoad and positioning, and connection of the tanks.
Fuel extraction and transfer
The system should come with a mechanical system for fuel extraction and transfer from the silo to the
boiler. This is usually a spring operated extraction system with an extraction auger and motor appropriate
for the boiler control system and a safety limit switch. A proven re protection device should be installed
in the down pipe to mechanically separate the combustion chamber from the fuel silo.
The equipment should all be designed, tted and commissioned within the costs.
Flue / chimney
The installer should size a chimney that is acceptable to the planning authority and allow for supply,
erection and installation sized to the boiler.
Mechanical and electrical services
The installer should undertake all required mechanical and electrical services including electrics and wiring
from 3 phase power.
All pumps and valves should be provided and installed, together with a heat meter (to measure energy
output from the system).
In the plant room all pipe work and insulation should be provided, together with any site specic connections
and pipework/pumps.
In cases where the wood chip system is connecting to existing hot water systems the installer should allow
for all modications of that existing system to ensure the proper operation of the heating system.
Builders works
This will usually cover:
Site preparation
Construction of the fuel silo
Foundation / slab
Steel frame portal barn or other suitable structure (if building boiler house)
Heat mains trenching
Builders works are of course highly site specic, however the installer should detail out, cost and provide
all builders work and if required employ and manage domestic sub contractors to complete these works
within the turnkey solution.
It is advisable to allow the installation company some guidance on the fuel silo design, based on developing
an outline plan of what could be required. Subterranean fuel silos are usually the most costly approach, but
27
allow effective tipping trailer fuel delivery. Hook lift bins, or above ground silos are alternatives that usually
cost less to install but might not offer the same degree of ease in fuel delivery. The ITT can allow differing
options to be priced up for comparison purposes.
4.7 Maintenance and warranty issues
Wood chip systems require a higher degree of routine and annual maintenance than fossil fuel boilers.
Ash will accumulate in the ash bin (under 1% by volume of the wood chip fuel input) and require periodic
emptying (typically every 3 months). The material is inert and can be spread back in forests or for other
horticultural uses. The fuel supplier can be made responsible for this task at a small cost.
The main task of routine maintenance associated with wood chip systems is cleaning. Boilers with
pneumatic cleaning remove most of the airborne ash that accumulates on the inside of the heat exchanger.
However a small ash build-up does occur and all boilers should be properly cleaned in accordance with the
manufactures instructions (typically every 500 to 1,500 operating hours depending on the task). Routine
cleaning includes:
Cleaning light barriers and inspection windows
Cleaning of heat exchanger, grate slots
Cleaning ue fan
Cleaning re-circulating gas line
Clean exhaust gas de-duster
These are non technical tasks that could be undertaken by a member of the site staff, or they can be
contracted out to the fuel supply or installation company.
An annual service is also required and this is a specialist task to be undertaken by the installation company.
The ITT should secure costs for this. It should include:
Inspection and overhaul of fuel and de-ashing system
Inspection and overhaul of boiler
Inspection, overhaul and testing of control system functions
Boiler run-up test
Replacement of worn parts as necessary
An optional aspect of a maintenance contract is the provision of remote monitoring. Remote monitoring
can avoid costly call outs for faults and increase the operating efciency of the system. This requires the
installation of a remote monitoring kit. Typical items monitored can include;
Exhaust oxygen levelsoperating efciency
Exhaust gas temperaturesindicating abnormal running conditions such as burning of unsuitable fuel
Water ow and return temperatures
Hours runindicating requirement for next service
Other operating temperatures and pressures, level sensors, indicating blockages or other faults
Parameters on the wood chip system may be adjusted remotely as required to maintain optimum efciency
according to changing conditions. Operating inconsistencies are reported to the client for correction.
4 : Procurement Guidelines
28
29
Appendix 1:
Wood Energy Conversions
The following table shows the amount of energy
in one tonne of wood chips at differing moisture
contents. This is shown in GJs (Gigajoules) and kWh
(kilo watt hours). The corresponding solid volumes of
wood are also shown in m
3
/t.
The basic density of wood varies according to species
and growing conditions, fast growing trees tend to
have low densities, which has a slight impact on the
energy content of the wood fuel. For example at 50%
moisture content, conifers have an energy content of
about 2.15MWh (megawatt hours) per tonne whilst
hardwood has a slightly higher energy content of
2.18MWh per tonne.
MC % GJ/t kWh/t m
3
/t
20 14.9 4131 2.00
21 14.7 4071 1.98
22 14.4 4011 1.95
23 14.2 3951 1.93
24 14.0 3891 1.90
25 13.8 3831 1.88
26 13.6 3770 1.85
27 13.4 3710 1.83
28 13.1 3650 1.80
29 12.9 3590 1.78
30 12.7 3530 1.75
31 12.5 3470 1.73
32 12.3 3410 1.70
33 12.1 3350 1.68
34 11.8 3290 1.65
35 11.6 3229 1.63
36 11.4 3169 1.60
37 11.2 3109 1.58
38 11.0 3049 1.55
39 10.8 2989 1.53
40 10.5 2929 1.50
41 10.3 2869 1.48
42 10.1 2809 1.15
43 9.9 2749 1.43
44 9.7 2688 1.40
45 9.5 2628 1.38
46 9.2 2568 1.35
47 9.0 2508 1.33
48 8.8 2448 1.30
49 8.6 2388 1.28
50 8.4 2328 1.25
51 8.2 2268 1.23
52 7.9 2208 1.20
53 7.7 2147 1.18
54 7.5 2087 1.15
55 7.3 2027 1.13
Appendices
Appendices
30
Appendix 2:
Explanation of Terms
Auger
An Archimedes screw used to transfer fuel or ash in a
wood boiler.
Biomass energy
Biomass can be dened as the biodegradable fraction of
products, wastes and residues from agricultural, forestry
and related industries, as well as the biodegradable
fraction of industrial and municipal waste. There is no
common denition of biomass fuels, but the following
list summarises the main sources
16
:
Cereal and agricultural crops (straw/Oilseed Rape/
sugar beet etc)
Spent cooking oils
Animal slurries
Solid municipal waste and refuse derived fuels
Industrial and commercial wastes (particularly from
the food sectors)
Wood
Biomass energy specically refers to the conversion
of these fuels for heat, heat and power and transport
fuels.
Blower
A mechanical device attached to a fuel silo or delivery
vehicle that is capable of blowing wood fuel into an
above ground silo.
Buffer tanks
Also known as a thermal store or an accumulator
tank. Used to store hot water produced by a boiler
before it is circulated as heating or domestic hot
water.
Conveyor
A mechanical device attached to a fuel silo that is
capable of conveyng wood fuel into an above ground
silo.
District heating
A network of insulated underground ow and return
pipes connected to numerous individual buildings
supplied with hot water from a central boiler plant.
Hot water use is usually metered at each building.
Energy crops
Biomass fuels produced from purpose grown
agricultural crops such as sugar beet, straw and fast
growing willow coppice.
Fuel silo
A storage container used to store wood fuel before
it is automatically transferred into the boiler for
combustion.
Gigajoule
A gigajoule (GJ) is a metric term used for measuring
energy use. One GJ is equal to:
277.8 kWh of electricity
26.9 m
3
of natural gas
25.9 litres of heating oil
So for example, one tonne of wood chips at 40%
moisture content contains 10.54GJ of energy.
Heat exchanger
A system of hot water pipes mounted above the boiler
combustion chamber that uses the combustion gases
thermal energy to create hot water.
Heat meter
A small electronic device to measure and record the
amount of heat energy a boiler has produced based
upon ow volumes and return temperature. The
output is shown in kWh or MWh.
kW or MW hours
One watt-hour is the amount of energy expended by
a one-watt load (e.g. light bulb) drawing power for
one hour. For example a 100W light bulb (0.1kW)
left on for 10 hours per day will consume 1 kilowatt-
hour per day (0.1kW x 10h).
The table below shows the most common multiples
and terms:
Multiple Name Symbol
1 watt-hour Wh
1,000 kilowatt-hour kWh
1,000,000 megawatt-hour MWh
1,000,000,000 gigawatt-hour GWh
So for example, 1 tonne of wood chips at 40%
moisture content contains 2,929kWh of energy or
2.93MWh of energy.
Mean load
The average load of heat required by a building over
a 12 month period. The mean load will be much
lower than the peak load. Mean and peak loads are
expressed numerically in kWs or MWs.
31
Oven Dried Tonne (ODT)
As wood chips can be produced and supplied to
differing moisture contents it is usual to purchase
fuel in ODTs. This means that wood fuel can be
purchased according to its energy content. For
example 1 tonne of wood chips at 50% moisture
content contains much less energy than 1 tonne of
wood chips at 30% moisture content. Therefore to
provide equal amounts of energy, wetter wood fuels
must be used in greater quantity. Purchasers of fuel
therefore agree to a price based upon the weight of
fuel as if it was being supplied bone dryalthough of
course in practice it will be delivered and used with a
percentage of moisture in it.
Peak load
The maximum load of heat required by a building
(usually in winter and with high occupancy) or the
maximum output of a boiler. The peak load will be
much greater than the mean load. Mean and peak
loads are expressed numerically in kWs or MWs.
Wood boilers are not normally sized on the peak load.
Buffer tanks or back up boilers are used to meet peak
loads.
Subterranean fuel silo
An underground storage container used to store wood
fuel before it is automatically transferred into the
boiler for combustion. Allows fuel to be simply tipped
when delivered in lorries.
Wet systems
A system of pipes and radiators to provide space
heating in buildings.
Wood energy
A subset of biomass energy. Across the EU 85% of the
biomass market is supplied with solid wood biomass
this is about 100 million tonnes of wood.
17
There are
four possible sources of solid wood biomass fuel:
Forestry
Co-products of sawmill industry
Post consumer wood waste
Purpose grown energy crops
Appendices
32
Appendix 3:
Useful websites and Contacts
Agriculture and Forestry Biomass Network (AFB-Net)
www.afbnet.vtt.
Austrian Biofuels Institute www.biodiesel.at
Bernard Carey biorenewables@gmail.com
Bioenergy in Finland www.nbioenergy.
Bioenergy Information Network
http://bioenergy.ornl.gov
Bord na Mona Energy www.bnm.ie
Caddet www.caddet.co.uk
CARMEN www.carmen-ev.de
CCWEP www.ccwep.ie
Charles Parsons Initiative at UL www.cpi.ul.ie
Clare County Enterprise Board www.clareceb.ie
Clare Wood Chip Ltd. www.clarewoodchip.com
Clearpower www.clearpower.ie
COFORD www.coford.ie
Coillte www.coillte.ie
Conness Building Services ms@conness.biz
Dept. Agriculture, Fisheres and Food www.agriculture.ie
Energy 4 U www.energy4u.ie
Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.ie
ESB Networks www.esb.ie/esbnetworks
ETSU www.etsu.co.uk
Farrelly Brothers farrellybros2@eircom.net
Forestry Commission Scotland www.usewoodfuel.co.uk
Fraber Enterprises fraber@indigo.ie
Froeling www.froeling.com/en/
Geoff Dooley jgdooley@eircom.net
Green Energy Growers Association www.gega.ie
Green Planet www.greenplanet.ie
GreenTec www.greentec.ie
Imperative Energy www.imperativeenergy.ie
Igneus www.igneus.ie
International Energy Agency www.ieabioenergy.com
Irish Bioenergy Association www.irbea.org
Irish LEADER Network www.irishleadernetwork.org
Irish Timber and Forestry www.irishforests.com
John Torpey johntorpey@eircom.net
Joule Power david.joule@joulepower.com
Kane Heating CathalMcMullan@kaneheating.com
Kedco Power www.kedco.ie
Kob boilers www.koeb-holzfeuerungen.com
Limerick Clare Energy Agency www.lcea.ie
Limerick Institute of Technology www.lit.ie
Natural Power Supply www.nps.ie
Newfuels www.newfuels.org.uk
Powertech www.powertechireland.com
REIO www.irish-energy.ie/reio.htm
REMS www.rems.ie
Renetech www.renetech.net
Renewable Energy Skills Network
www.renewableenergy.ie
Robin Tottenham rtotts@iol.ie
Roto Spiral dpellet@eircom.net
Rural Generation www.ruralgeneration.com
Rural Resource Development www.rrd.ie
SEI www.sei.ie
Shamrock Solar Energies www.shamrocksolar.com
Stoker www.stoker.ie
The Sustainable Land Use Co. www.esatclear.ie/~tbecht/
Teagasc www.teagasc.ie
Technical Energy Solutions www.tes.ie
Tekes www.tekes.
University of Limerick www.ul.ie
Wood Energy www.woodenergy.ie
Wood Energy Ltd. www.woodenergyltd.co.uk
Footnotes
1 CCWEP is funded by the Forest Service of the Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAFF) and provides commercially
impartial advice and help to energy users. The project is jointly
managed by Rural Resource Development and Teagasc
(www.ccwep.ie).
2 A kW is a term to describe the rated capacity of a boiler, or the
amount of heat energy it is capable of providing. Appendix 2 of this
guide provides further details.
3 GaBE Project: Comprehensive Assessment of Energy Systems;
Dr Thomas Heck, Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland, March 2002.;
http://gabe.web.psi.ch/lca.html.
Greenhouse Gas Balance of Bioenergy SystemsA Comparison
of Bioenergy with Fossil Energy Systems; G Jungmeier, Joanneum
Research, University of Graz, Austria, 1999.; Gerfried.jungmeier@
joanneum.ac.at.
4 These fgures exclude Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs). It can be
assumed that due to the need to use mains electricity a GSHP would
not improve upon solar. The wind fgure relates to large scale wind
and so would not be as effective as suggested by this table if micro
wind was deployed.
5 EU 25.
6 A Study of the County Clare Farm Forestry Market (December
2004), published by Rural Resource Development and written by
Purser Tarleton Russell Ltd. in association with Robin Tottenham.
7 By Electrowatt-Ekono and Tipperary Institute 2003Maximising the
potential of wood energy use for energy generation in Ireland.
8 This would have serious implications for the forest industry as the
forestry would not be properly managed or thinned, adversely
impacting on the quantity and quality of the fnal timber crop.
9 Wood chip systems can also provide forced or hot air blown
systems and cooling.
10 This cost is typical and based upon 2007/8 tender returns to the
CCWEP.
11 The thermal insulation properties of roofs, walls etc.
12 For example a 200M
2
house with average ceiling height of 2.2M
gives a volume of 440M
3
and a heat load of 15.4kW. Taking 85% of
this load would give a boiler size required of 13kW.
13 On a larger scale delivery wagons with walking foors can be used.
These are not covered in this guide as they are usually only viable
for very large projects.
14 With more frequent deliveries and or a larger silo required.
15 After 5 years the cycle can be re-started as the woodlands thinned
at year 1 will then require a further thinning.
16 It should be noted that woody energy crops are not part of this mix
at present.
17 Renewable Energy World July 2005.
DISCLAIMER
Whilst we have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the information contained within this guide is correct, you
should be aware that the information contained within it is a template and we are unable to provide warranties
and any person makes use of this guide at their own risk.
CCWEP shall not be liable (whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or breach of statutory duty or
otherwise) for any loss or damage suffered as a result of any use of the contents of this guide including direct
loss, business interruption, loss of production, prots, contracts, goodwill or anticipated savings, loss arising from
third party claims or any indirect or consequential loss (whether or not foreseeable). However, nothing in this
disclaimer shall exclude or limit liability for death or personal injury resulting from the proven negligence of any
person mentioned above or for fraud or any other liability, which may not be limited or excluded by law.
County Clare Wood Energy Project
c/o Rural Resource Development
Shannon Business Centre
Shannon, County Clare
T: 061361144
www.ccwep.ie